Protective suit ventilated by self-powered bellows

Abstract

Protective suits are used to protect the wearer against hazardous materials such as particulates, liquids, chemicals, pathogens, radiation, electromagnetism, physical trauma, heat and for rain protection. They are used to protect the wearer's surrounding in cleanrooms. Medical protective suits are used to prevent the spread of pathogens from the wearer. Unfortunately, they can cause heat stress by reducing air circulation. This invention discloses a protective suit with bellows and dual one-way valves operated by the normal movement of the wearer to draw air through the suit's interior to cool the wearer and provide breathable air. Filters can be placed in the bellows and suit's air vents, or the suit can be made of a filter material to protect the wearer and the surroundings. The disclosed suit is lighter, less expensive and more mobile than prior-art protective ventilated suits that use powered or externally supplied ventilation and cooling devices. It does not depend on limited life portable power sources for ventilation. Filtered air, supplied by the bellows, can be used for breathing, eliminating the need for a separate source of air.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001]“Ventilated Breathing Powered Protection Suit” specification submitted by Robert B. Steinert, Ser. No. 10 / 613,948, Filing Date Jul. 7, 2003, Customer Number 37498.FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT [0002] Not Applicable. SEQUENCE LISTING [0003] Not Applicable. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0004] Protective suits are in wide use. They are designed to protect the wearer from Hazardous Materials (pathogens, chemicals, particulates, and radioactive contaminates). They are used to protect clean environments from potentially harmful sources from the wearer, such as particular contaminations in cleanrooms. They are used to protect people and animals from pathogens spread by the wearer such as in the surgical operating rooms of medical facilities and for the protection of laboratory animals, which must be pathogen free. They are used to protect workers from electrical, electromagnetic and radioactive sources. They are used for protection ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013] This invention discloses a ventilated protective suit through which fresh air is drawn, or blown, by at least one bellows powered by the movement of the wearer. The bellows can supply filtered air for both cooling and breathing when it is worn with a face mask that draws air from the suit's interior and exhausts it to the suit's exterior. The bellows have dual one-way valves. In one design option the first one-way valve allows air to be blown from the bellows, to the suit's interior, when the wearer's movement compresses the bellows, the second valve allows filtered air to be drawn into the bellows from the ambient when the wearer's movement expands the bellows. The opposite flow is also possible, that is, the first valve draws filtered air from the suit into the bellows when the bellows expands and the second valve discharges air to the ambient when the bellows is collapsed. Vents can be situated in the suit to allow air to enter, or leave, the suit's interior depending on the arrangement of the one-way valves. The vents can be filtered to prevent harmful elements from passing into or out of the suit. The vents are preferably placed near the body's extremities such as the hands, feet and head to expose the maximum area of the body to the fresh air circulation.

[0014] The suit can be constructed of materials designed to protect the wearer from hazards such as particulates, pathogens, chemicals, radiation, electricity, electromagnetism, heat, liquids or physical trauma or to protect the surroundings from hazards such as particulates and pathogens.

Problems solved by technology

Exhaustion, discomfort and heat stress can result from wearing such suits.

To reduce the heat and moisture buildup, the wearer may open the suit's closures to increase ventilation, circumventing the suit's protection.

The previously disclosed suits are expensive to produce, add physical weight to the wearer or function for limited periods.

Attached supply lines limit the wearer's movement.

Their non-filtering construction renders them unsuitable for protective use.

These openings prevent their use in most situations requiring protective suits.

They do not have a mechanism to draw air through the suit.

They provide minimal air circulation through the suit, limiting cooling and evaporation.

Such devices are expensive to produce, heavy and have a limited battery life.

It does not provide for ventilation of the protective suit.

Their ventilation and cooling sources are expensive to produce.

Images